Nail polish: My fingertips are bare with the exception of the nail on my left pointer finger, which is painted with two layers of Dior Liquorice nail enamel. My toes are still rockin’ It’s Delovely, the coral shade from my visit to the Lippmann nail bar a couple weeks ago.

If you have naturally curly or wavy hair and, like me, can’t or won’t use hair products that contain silicone, you probably struggle to find silicone-free leave-in conditioners and de-frizzing products in which dimethicone or amodimethicone aren’t listed near the top of the list of ingredients. In the hair care industry, it seems like silicone is everywhere you turn.

What’s so bad about silicone? Well, nothing according to the cosmetics industry, but theirs isn’t the only opinion. Silicone coats hair, protecting it from heat damage, and makes hair shiny and smooth.

But others warn that overuse of silicone-containing hair products forces the hair cuticle out of position, potentially killing it and leading to hair thinning and loss.

Most experts agree that occasional use of quality brands shouldn’t lead to long term problems with hair.

With Healer and Encore, Tela Beauty Organics has solved the silicone dilemma in a novel way. They don’t use it. Neither Healer nor Encore contain silicones, and both products create smooth, silky hair. The catch (there’s always one)? Price. Available exclusively at Barneys New York, Healer costs a whopping $48 for a 1.6-oz. bottle, and Encore will set you back $45 for a 1-oz jar. All together now: “OUCH!”

Both products are expensive, but they also work very well.

Healer is a leave-in treatment that repairs hair and damaged ends. I have really thick hair and found that I had to use about a silver dollar-sized amount, massaging it throughout my hair after getting out of the shower. Then, using my fingertips and a wide-toothed comb, I worked a pea-sized amount of Encore’s styling paste in, particularly at the ends to reduce frizz, and air dried.[Continue reading…]

Shu Uemura’s Pricey Rose Fragrance Smells Pretty But Fades Fast

Each June, Shu Uemura releases a limited edition collection of various beauty products to commemorate the opening of their first beauty boutique in June of 1983. This year’s collection, called Hana-Bi, includes, among other things, three pricey eau de toilette fragrances. How pricey?

Are you sitting down?

Each of the scents will set you back a whopping $85 for a 1.6-oz. bottle. The company sent me one of the three, Fleur de Rose, to review for the blog. I was really looking forward to trying it out, knowing full well that it had better be good for $85.

Eau de toilettes are usually less concentrated and less expensive than regular perfumes (sometimes referred to as eau de parfums). I could see myself shelling out $85 for a truly breathtaking eau de parfum, but paying almost $100 for an eau de toilette is a lot to ask of anyone.

I’ve been wearing Fleur de Rose off and on now for a few days. It’s a very light, simple, rosy scent that reminds me of crushed rose petals and wild licorice on a crisp spring morning.

I like Fleur de Rose, but I don’t love it. The fragrance simply is what it is and doesn’t evolve or change over time. And it fades quickly, too. When I dab it on my wrists in the morning, the scent is gone by lunchtime.

Shu Uemura Fleur de Rose Eau de Toilette

I have a special place in my heart for Shu Uemura products, especially their eyeshadows, but Fleur de Rose is simply too expensive. I haven’t tried the other two scents in the collection — Fleur de Terre, a fresh woody floral; and Fleur de Source, a spicy floral — but they’d really have to smell amazing and last far longer than Fleur de Rose does to justify the price.[Continue reading…]

Happy Sunday, girls! I hope your day is going well. I’m on my way to a quick brunch (Mmm… French toast).

Brunch.

What is it about that word? — brunch? I love it. Not quite breakfast; not quite lunch.

Most Popular Posts of the Week: June 16-22

Chanel Fall 2008: Early Reviews and Swatches“The entire gold-themed collection lands at Chanel counters this July, but here are three members of the fall collection. I’ve yet to see the items I’m *really* lusting after — the Gold Fever Highlighter and the Gold Light Glossimer — in person, but these should tide me over for now.”

Review: Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco Masque“The texture of Creme de Coco Masque is just slightly thicker than Bumble and Bumble’s Deeep [with three Eees] Conditioner, which is quite thick, but it was still easy to apply from roots to ends. Coconut is either a love it or hate it scent, so be warned: this smells like coconut.”

MAC Cosmetics Neo Sci Fi Face of the Day“I’ve had sun on my mind lately and felt inspired this morning to reach for a few brighter-than-bright items from MAC’s Neo Sci Fi collection. I didn’t really feel like going buck wild with a lot of blending or a wide variety of products with my look today, and I limited myself to just two (!) eyeshadows.”

I’m taking advantage of the air conditioning at the mall right now and stumbled upon a semi-annual sale at Victoria’s Secret. Lots of VS beauty products are marked down in-store from 50-75% (also good online, but only on bras and panties). I’m not sure how long the sale lasts, but check out these really cute Island Infusion body mists, a mere $3.50 each after the sale discount, wowza! They come in four scents: Moorea Passion Fruit, Tahitian Vanilla Flower, Bali Orchid and Capri Peach Blossom. I think I’m going to get Bali Orchid, a light, white floral that smells like soap and clean skin. [Continue reading…]